Britain is drawing up plans to expand a small port at Akrotiri to ensure the smooth supply of its bases in the event of a no-deal Brexit, the Times and the Daily Express reported on Thursday.

It said UK officials fear that equipment and other goods heading for RAF Akrotiri would be heavily restricted if Britain were to exit the European Union without a trade agreement.

The RAF base is currently supplied through the island’s commercial ports. However, any customs or other inspections implemented by Brussels in event of a no-deal Brexit could cripple operations, it said.

The Ministry of Defence is reported to be planning to spend tens of millions in order to upscale RAF Akrotiri’s small port in order to cope with the extra shipments while circumnavigating any potential no-deal customs checks.

The proposals are “essentially to extend the RAF port in Akrotiri because it’s too small to be used properly”, according to a Whitehall source. The source told The Times plans for the port would be to basically build a new one.

“If we had a no-deal, the port – a Cypriot one – would become extremely problematic whereas the RAF port is considered British territory,” they added.

The project would cost less than £100 million and be funded from unallocated sections of the 2019-20 Brexit preparedness fund.